Internal-combustion engine.



W. NOBLE.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED IIov. I. ISIS.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

2 SHEETSWSHEET 1.

IT I

III III I III I W. NOBLL- INTERNAL COMBUSTION'ENGINE.

APPLICAION HLED NOV-1,1915.

Patented Mec. l2, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 awww.,

lwwdmlwdTEd WARREN NOBLE, OF DETROIT, MICHllGlltlll.

llNITERNAL-CUMBUSTIN ENGNE.

Application filed November l, 1915.

1/ o NZZ "u1/wm fait 11i/tj] Concern.'

Be it known that l, WARREN NOBLE, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing` at Detroit, in the county of lllfayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful improvements in lnternal-Conibustion Engines, of which the following isa specification, reterence being' had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The inventionrelates to internal combustion engines, and has for its primary object theI obtaining of a construction which will operate successfully for long periods ot time with little attention.

To this end the invention comprises, first., the novel construction and arrangement ot parts by which lubrication of the movingI parts is maintained; Jfurther, the construe tion of the valve and means for lubricating1 the same; and further, various features oi construction as hereinafter set forth.

ln the drawings: Figure l is a vertical central section through the engine; Fig. 2 is a section in a plane at right angles to llfig. l; and Fig. 3 is a. sectional plan view, on line az-rc Fig. l. l

A is the engine cylinder, provided with a suitable water jacket B, preferably in teg'ral therewith, and also provided with the inlet and exhaust ports C andll.

i@ is a cylindrical. valve sleeve, which is rotatably secured within the cylinder A, being provided with suitable driving means, such` as the spiral gear F at its lower end.

Gr' is an inner core member fitting within that portion of the sleeve E which covers the inlet and exhaust ports and being` hollow to form a water jacket. 'lhe member G is providd with ports ll and l, which are respectively in registration with the inlet and exhaust ports C and D. .T is a shouldered portion ior fitting within the upper end of the cylinder to hold the core in axial alinement therewith.

l is a flange resting upon the end of the cylinder, and L is a centrally-projecting threaded nipple 6tor receivingl the sparlr 'plug'. This nipple is provided with a shoulder lill whichis engaged by a detachable' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented i2, lltllilt.

Serial llo. 58,957.

head N secured to the end ot ,the cylinder I and formingr a connecting vwater. chamber between that in the core mein/ber and the jacket surrounding the cylinder.

llfith the construction as thus far de` scribed it will be understood that the sleeve E rotates inthe annular space between the inner core member .Gr and the outer cylinder A, and as 'this sleeve is provided with ports it they will be periodically registered with the inlet and exhaust ports. @ne diniculty encountered with. such a construction is to properly lubricate the portion et the sleeve which is intermediate the core and the outer cylinder, and this diiiiculty l have avoided by the peculiar construction of piston and its cooperative relation to the sleeve and the core. As shown lll isv the piston which is provided on one side with a tapering upward projection O extending` to a point above the ports C and l) when said piston is at the upper end of its stroke. To pro vide clearance for this upward projection 0 the core-member G is cut-away at one side, as indicated at P, so that the core and piston are complementary to each other and together till the cylinder, with only studi! cient clearance for the compressed explosive lgases. By reason of this construction the lubricant which is supplied to the cylinder is carried up by the sweeping` action of the extension O, while the rotation of the sleeve E will carry the lubricant around the core member G, thereby thoroughly lubricating all oi" the working' surfaces. ln addition to this function the extension O forms a seal. 'for one of the ports E of the sleeve lll, during the latter portion of the compression stroke and the early portion of the working stroke'. Still another function is that it forms a. longbearingfor the piston for preventing the showing action in the cylinder.

ln operatiim, the sleeve ll' is preferably rotated in a one to four ratio to the crank shalt speed, so that the diami-trically oppol site ports lll in said sleeve are alternately brought into operation. Each upward stroke of the piston carries the extension (l to above the ports and each eighth stroke will complete the rotation of the' sleeve. "l`1e explosive charge is compressed in the clearance space between the piston -and core member as well as that within the central chamber of the core surrounding the spark plug. The water chamber within the core absorbs the excessive heat of explosion and protects the sleeve therefrom, while the portion of the sleeve not protected by the core is shielded by the piston and lthe upward extension O thereof.

To supply the lubricant to the inner and outer faces of the sleeve I have devised the following construction: Q is the crank case connecting with the cylinder, which has lformed thereon a thrust bearing Q for the 'lower end of the sleeve E, and above said bearing an annular pocket Q2 for receiving the annular gear F. R is a pinion intermeshing with the gear wheel F and arranged in a pocket R within the crank case, communicating with the annular pocket Q. S is a drive shaft for'the pinion which is hollow'and has arranged therein the check valve S, preferably a ball held to its seat by a spring S2 and threaded collar S3. This shaft is driven preferably by spiral gearing from the crank slraft T, which is hollow.

andA is provided with' a crank T having a channel T2y therein communicat'ng through a channel T3 in the crank pin T4 with a hollow pitman rod U. This rod at its upper end connects with 'a hollow wrist pin U extending through the piston N, and the arrangement is such that they form a continuous channel for lubricant from the hollow crank shaft to the surface of the piston, where it is distributed on the inner face of the sleeve.

F or forcing the lubricant through the hollow shaft S and channeledconnections to the piston a suitable pump is provided, preferably a gear pump V mounted on the s haft S. The discharge end of this pump has communication with the hollow shaft S, through which lubricant is supplied to the pockets R and Q2 and distributed from the latter around. the outer face of the sleeve. Another distributing channel W extends from thepump through the bearing for theI crank shaft and throu'gh ports in the latter tothe hollow interior, from which it is distributed through the hollow connections to the piston. Thus the sleeve is thoroughly lubricated both linside and out, and Waste of the, lubricant is prevented by the sealing. connection formed by the thrust bearing Q and by the seal of the piston rings. The

v lubricant which escapes from the bearing or crank shaft 'is recovered by a cup-shaped oil.

guard X, which is secured to the hub of the y wheel X, and has a flange X2 extending within a channel X3 in a stationary portion of the bearing. Thus whatever lubricant escapes will be thrown outward by centrifugal action, filling around the flange X.2

and accumulating in the channel X3, from which it is returned to the holding tank.

lV hat I claim as my invention is:-

l. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a ported cylinder of a rotative sleeve. within said cylinder' ported for registration with said cylinder port, a piston member and a core member fitting within different portions of said sleeve, a segmental projection on one of said members overlapping the ported .portion of said sleeve and forming an inner seal therefor, and means upon the other of said members for lubricating the inner face of said sleeve adjacent to said segmental projection.

2. In an internal Combustion engine, the combination with a ported cylinder of a. rotative sleeve within said cylinder ported for registration with the cylinder port, a reciprocatory piston member and a. core member fitting within different portions of said sleeve, a segmental extension of said core member overlapping the ported portion of said sleeve and forming an inner seal therefor, and a segmental extension of said piston adapted to overlap an adjacent portion of said sleeve and forming lubricatingr means therefor.

3. In an internal. combustion engine. the. combination with a ported cylinder, of a rotative sleeve within said cylinder ported for registration with said cylinder' port, a piston recipro aiting within said sleeve, hav.- ing an upward extension on one side thereof, and a core member extending within said sleeve and cut-away to becomplementary to the upward extension of said piston.

4. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a ported cylinder. of a rotative sleeve therein ported for registration with the cylinder ports. a core member within said sleeve extending to cover the ported zone of said cylinder and provided with a registering port, said core being` cutaway on one side beyond the zone of the ports, and a piston reeiprm'ating within `said sleeve below said-core member and provided with an upward extension complementary to the cut-away portion of said core member.

5. In an internal combustion engine. the combination with a cylinder having inlet and exhaust ports in a zone thereof` of a rotative Sleeve within said cylinder having a plu 'ality of ports successively registered with said inlet and exhaust ports. a core member fitting within the ported '/.one ol said sleeve and cut-away at one side. and a piston reciprocating within said sleeve. ha ving an extension complementary to said cutaway portion of the core. said extension adapted to cover one of the ports of said sleeve.

6. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a ported cylinder, of a` rotative sleeve within said cylinder ported Lacasse for registration with the cylinder port, a reciprocatory piston within said sleeve, a crank and pitman connection to said piston, a rotative drive'connection for said sleeve, and lubricating means for the inner and outer surfaces of said sleeve connected respectively with channels in said crank, pitman and piston and through said rotary e connection.

7. ln an internal combustion engine, the combination with a ported cylinder of a sleeve therein ported for registration with the cylinder port, an annular gear at the lower end of said sleeve, a thrust bearing on said cylinder for the end of said sleeve below said gear, a pinion meshing with said gear in a pocket in said cylinder above said bearing, a hollow shaft on which -said pinion is mounted, and means for forcing lubricant through said hollow shaft into said pocket and distributing the same between said sleeve and cylinder, said thrust bearing forming a seal for the lubricant.

8. in an internal combustion engine, the combination with a ported cylinder 'ofa rotative sleeve therein ported for registration with the cylinder port, an annular gear at the lower end of said sleeve engaging an annular chamber within said cylinder, a pinion intermeshing with saidgear in a pocket communicating with said annular chamber, a hollow shaft for said pinion, and means for forcing lubricant through said hollow shaft, through said pocket and annular chamber and distributingfrom the latter between the surfaces of said sleeve and cylnder.

9. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a ported cylinder, of a rotative sleeve therein ported for registration with the cylinder port, an annular gear at the lower end of said sleeve, a. crank case connecting with the lower end of said cylinder, a thrust bearing in said crank case for engaging the lower end of said sleeve and having an annular channel above the same for receiving said gear wheel, a pinion intermeshing with said gear wheel in a pocket in said crank case, communicating with said annular channel, a hollow shaft for said pinion, and means for forcing lubricant through said hollow shaft and pinion into said pocket and distributing the same around said annular channel and between the surfaces of said sleeve and cylinder.

10. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder and a rotative sleeve therein, of a hollow drive connection for said rotative sleeve, and means for forcing lubricant through said hollow drive connection between said sleeve and cylinder.

11. 1n an internal combustion engine,- the combination with a cylinder and a rotative sleeve therein, ofan annulargear at the lower end of said sleeve engaging an annular pocket in the engine casing, a pinion intermeshing with said gear, a hollow shaft on which said pinion is mounted, means for driving said shaft, and a rotary pump also mounted on said shaft for forcing lubricant through the saine into said annular chamber and between said sleeve and cylii'uler.

12. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a casing, of a rotative sleeve therein, an annular gear at the end of said sleeve engaging an annular pocket within said casing, a pinion intern'ieshing with' said gear, a pocket communicating with said annular pocket, a hollow shaft for said pinion, a check valve in said hollow shaft, and a rotary pump mounted on said hollow shaft .for forcing lubricant through the same past said check valve into said annular chamber and between said sleeve a-nd casing.

13. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with the engine casing including the cylinder, of a rotative sleeve within said cylinder, a reciprocatory piston within said rotative sleeve, an annular gear at the lower end of said sleeve engaging an annular pocket in said engine casing, a pinion intermeshing with said gear within a pocket in said casing communicating 'with said annular pocket, a hollow shaft for said pinion, a crank shaft, a drive connection between said crank shaft and hollow shaft, a rotary pump on said hollow shaft having its discharge communicating with the channel through said shaft, a lul'iricant tank, and a suction conduit from said pump depending therefrom into said lubricant tank.

14. ln an internal combustion engine, the combination with an engine casing including a cylinder and crank case, of a rotative sleeve within said cylinder, a reciprocatory piston within said sleeve, an annular gear at the lower end of said sleeve engaging an annular pocket in said casing, a hollow drive connection for said annular gear, a

lubricant pump mounted on said hollow drive connection for forcing a portion of the lubricant therethrough into said annular pocket and between said sleeve and cylinder, a crank shaft operatively connected to said hollow drive connection and having a lubricant channel therein, a channeled crank and pitman connection to said reciprocatory piston, and connections for distributing a portion of the lubricant from said pump through said hollow crank shaft and hollow connections to said piston for lubricating the inner surface of said sleeve. I

15. ln an internal combustion engine, the combination with a ported cylinder of a rotative sleeve within saidl cylinder ported Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressin Washington, D. C.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

VARREN NOBLE. Witnesses C. B. VATERMAN, HARRY MILLER.

g the Commissioner of Patents, 

